GT-3 Series BASIC OPERATION MANUAL Please read this manual before using the printer. Please keep this manual within easy reach for quick reference. GARMENT PRINTER GT Series US support homepage http://www.brother-usa.
MEMO Note based on California law (USA) on the use and handling of Perchlorate This product contains a CR Coin Lithium Battery which contains Perchlorate Material – special handling may apply. See http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Thank you very much for buying a BROTHER printer. Before using your new printer, please read the safety instructions below and the explanations given in the instruction manual. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS [1] Safety indications and their meanings This instruction manual and the indications and symbols that are used on the printer itself are provided in order to ensure safe operation of this printer and to prevent accidents and injury to yourself or other people.
WARNING Installation Do not set up the printer in a dusty environment. If dust collects inside the printer, it may cause fire or electric shocks or problems with correct operation. Do not bend the cords excessively or fasten them too hard with staples or anything similar to secure cords, otherwise there is the danger that fire or electric shocks could occur. Be sure to connect the ground.
CAUTION Installation Setting up and moving of the printer should only be carried out by a qualified technician. The printer machine weighs approximately 111 kg (245 lb). Transporting and setting up of the printer should be held in proper way. The machine may fall down and cause injury. The printer must be used on a suitable stable surface, otherwise it may tip over or fall down and cause injury. Furthermore, the table that supports the printer should be at least 137 cm (53.9 inch) in width and 104.5 cm (41.
[3] Warning labels The following warning labels appear on the printer. Please follow the instructions on the labels at all times when using the printer. If the labels have been removed or are difficult to read, please contact your nearest Brother dealer. 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 Watch your fingers, or you may be injured. 11 High temperature warning display 12 Be sure to connect the ground.
Grease Wash Liquid Waste Ink Tank Ink Cartridge Pretreatment (20kg) Maintenance Solution (5kg) 0085Y GT-3 Series v
CONTENTS 1. Read This First ..............................................................................................................................................................1 1-1. Precautions............................................................................................................................................................1 1-2. Unpacking Your Printer ..........................................................................................................................
5-2. Regular Maintenance............................................................................................................................................43 5-2-1. Daily Cleaning White for replacing dull White Ink (Once a day, before printing) .......................................43 5-2-2. White Tube Cleaning (once a week)............................................................................................................43 5-2-3. Waste Ink Disposal........................................
1. Read This First 1. Read This First 1-1. Precautions Please observe the following precautions before using your printer. z GT-3 represents the common specifications of GT-381, GT-361 and GT-341 models. The individual specifications are described with each model name. z Please advise the following to your customers who buy your printed materials: z z Printed colors may transfer when a printed surface rubs on a white or light-colored synthetic leather made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
1. Read This First z Never refill ink, never reconstruct ink cartridges; ink may cohere inside the cartridge bag, tube or even Print Head and may cause serious damage to your printer. We assume no responsibility for any problem caused by using them. Only genuine new ink cartridges should be used. z The ink cartridges should always be installed; otherwise the needles may stopped up with ink and your printer may be damaged.
1. Read This First Product names used in this manual are, in general, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective developer or manufacture. However, in this manual, the ® marks or TM marks are not used. Brother logo is registered trademark of Brother Industries, Ltd. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Corel, CorelDRAW and Paint Shop Pro are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation.
1. Read This First This unit uses software. Agree with the license agreement to use the software. Software License Agreement The customer may download and use this software after agreeing with the various terms stipulated in the Software License Agreement (herein referred to as the "Agreement"). This software cannot be used if the customer disagrees with this agreement. 1.
1. Read This First 1-2. Unpacking Your Printer Your printer must be unpacked by a Brother representative or a Brother authorized shipping company. After unpacking, check that the following parts are included. Contact Brother Customer Service Hot Line if any of these is missing.
1. Read This First 1-3-2. Electrical Requirements Power: Single-phase 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz Power Consumptions: 0.4 A (average) 1-3-3. Software Information Supported OS: Latest Windows XP (32 bit), Windows Vista (32 bit / 64 bit), Windows 7 (32 bit / 64 bit) Supported Interface: USB 2.0 Minimum System Requirements: 256 MB RAM (512 MB or more is recommended), 128 MB free disk space (256 MB or more is recommended), 1 GHz CPU (2 GHz or more is recommended.
1. Read This First Urethane mat (continuous foam): When you cure Pretreatment, use this to release the hot air quickly. T-shirt: Made with 100 % cotton, 50 % cotton and 50 % polyester (light-colored are recommended) z Pretreatment on some T-shirts may be seen after applied and cured. In that case, wash lightly with water to remove mark. Some dyes may be decolorized by Pretreatment, especially "dye migration" will occur on Polyester garment. Be sure to test before your production.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-1. Front 0043Y No. Name Description 1 Platen Holds the T-shirt to be printed. 2 Platen Sheet Prevents a T-shirt from slipping so that an image is printed on your desired position. 3 T-shirt Tray Keeps parts of T-shirt hanging from the Platen (e.g. sleeves) on this T-shirt Tray. 4 Front Cover Open this to work on the inside of your printer, after you turn OFF the printer.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-2. Right 0044Y No. Name Description 1 Exhaust slot The outlet of the Exhaust Fan. Do not cover; Leave the space of 20 cm or more to release the exhaust air. 2-3. Rear 0045Y No. Name Description 1 AC cord socket Inserts AC cord. 2 USB port Inserts USB cable to PC. 3 LAN port Inserts LAN cable to PC. 4 Rear Cover Covers the Platen moving area. 5 Waste Ink Tube Drains the waste ink. 6 Waste Ink Tank Holds the waste ink. Be aware of the room.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-4. Inside of the Front Cover Cancel any operation, restore the Platens and turn off your printer before opening the Front Cover. Lift the Front Cover with both hands until the lock is set when opening. Keep pushing the Stop Lever to release the lock and close the Front Cover with both hands. If you open the Front Cover while operating, the power automatically turns off. 0046Y 0047Y No.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-5. Upper part of the Maintenance Unit 0048Y No. Name Description 1 Caps (Front: Color side) Cover the surface of the Print Heads and absorb ink in head cleaning. From the left black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. 2 Caps (Back: White side) Cover the surface of the Print Heads and absorb ink in head cleaning. From the left W1, W2, W3, and W4. 3 Wipers (Color / White) Wipe off the waste ink on the surface of Print Heads.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-6. Under the Platen 0049Y No. Name Description 1 Platen Fixing Lever Fixes the Platen. Tighten/Loosen this lever to install/uninstall the Platen and to adjust the Platen height.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-7. Control Panel 0050Y No. Name Description 1 Error Lamp OFF: no errors ON: one or more errors have been detected. See "7-4. Error messages" in the Instruction Manual. 2 Power Lamp ON: shows the power is ON. 3 Head Cleaning Button Cleans all the Print Heads with normal cleaning. (the number of cleaning depends on the model). 4 Platen Button Loads / Ejects the Platen.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-7-1. Display The following image indicates that GT-3 has received a print data and ready to print. The Display indicates Job, printer status and the information needed for printing operations. 01e0026Y No. Item Shown Description 1 Job Name Shows the indentified name of the print data, which is automatically set by Printer Driver. 2 Job Comment Shows the 30 characters of the Job Comment set by the operator with Printer Driver.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts 2-7-2. Menu List Push either one of the OK Button, Up Button, Down Button and Back Button to go into the Menu. Menu Content Head Cleaning Executes Head Cleaning of either one by one or of all four Print Heads. See "7-2-2. Cleaning the Print Heads" in the Instruction Manual. Normal: normal mis-firing Powerful: After cleaning the Print Head nozzles, when normal head cleaning does not work. Test Print Prints to check mis-firing and print quality.
2. Identifying Your Printer’s Parts Menu Printer Setting Content Daily Cleaning W Setting: Adjusts the amount of White Ink that is flushed in DailyCleaning White. See "7-2-12. Adjusting the amount of White Ink in Daily Cleaning White" in the Instruction Manual. Auto Job Delete: Deletes the print data automatically after the print number which is set with Printer Driver is finished. Default is OFF. GT-341 mode (No White): Sets the printer to stop all the operation of White Heads. See "6-2-５.
3. Getting Started 3. Getting Started Before using your printer, it needs to be correctly setup as described in this chapter. WARNING Do not handle the power cord with wet hands, otherwise it may cause electric shocks. Do not set up the printer in a dusty environment. If dust collects inside the printer, it may cause fire or electric shocks or problems with correct operation. Be sure to connect the ground.
3. Getting Started 3-1. Placing Your Printer Uncrate and Setting the printer by following the steps in Uncrate Manual , which is packed with the printer. Locate your printer taking the following into account z Environmental conditions are suitable. z Avoid direct sunlight, dust and extremes of humidity. z Never use an extension cable. z A working space must be left around the printer. Minimum space of 100 cm (39.4 inch) on the front and the right.
3. Getting Started 3-2. Turning On/Off Your Printer Before you connect the power cord, make sure: z The Ink Cartridges, Wiper Cleaners and Flushing Sponge et al. are adequately installed. z Waste ink tube is properly set the Waste Ink Tank*. (* See "1-3-5. Consumable Requirements and Options" for part code.) z The Rear Cover is mounted. z Keep the front space approximately 30 cm (12 inches) on the front as the Platen slides out when operating, and the right space at least 20 cm (7.
3. Getting Started 3-2-2. Turning Off Your Printer When you have finished using your printer, follow the instructions below to turn it off. (1) (2) (3) (4) Make sure that your printer is [standby] or [ready] mode. Select [Platen Reset] in Menu to store the Platen in the printer. Press Power Switch to turn OFF your printer. If you are planning not to use your printer for over-two-week periods of time, disconnect the power plug from the power outlet.
3. Getting Started 3-3. Preparing Your PC This section describes how to install the GT-3 Printer Driver (FileOutput), manuals (Basic Operation Manual/ Instruction Manual), Brother GT-3 File Viewer, and other tools. Make sure the steps because there are some different dialogs shown between Windows XP and Vista / Windows 7. After those installations are over, install GT-3 Printer Driver (USB) by connecting USB 2.0 cable. 3-3-1. When you already have GT-541/GT-782 You cannot print GT-3 print data (*.
3. Getting Started 3-3-3. Connection with USB 2.0 Cable: for Windows XP (1) Connect the USB 2.0 cable to your printer (power OFF). We do not recommend connection via a USB hub to the printer. (2) Connect the other end of the USB 2.0 Cable to your PC. (3) Turn on your GT-3 printer. The following window appears. Select "No, not this time”, and then click “Next”. (4) Insert the Install CD. The following window appears.
3. Getting Started (5) Select “Install the software automatically (Recommended)”, and the click “Next”. The installation starts. When "Hardware installation" dialog (not passed Windows Logo testing, see 3-3-2. (5)) appears during installation, Click "Continue Anyway". The installation continues. z If you connect the USB 2.0 cable anyway, the dialog to insert the install CD appears. Confirm that the Install CD is inserted properly, and then click “OK”.
3. Getting Started 3-3-4. Installation of PC for Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 bit / 64 bit) Refer first to "3-3-2. PC preparation: For Windows XP (32 bit)" and confirm the process. Install the file Output Printer Driver "Brother GT-3 FileOutput" first to your PC. Tools and manuals are installed together from Install CD, and PC must be restarted. Then PC is connected to USB 2.0 cable, the printer turned ON, and USB 2.0 cable connected to the printer.
3. Getting Started (6) During the installation, the following warning appears. Click "Install this driver software anyway" and continue. (7) After installation, your PC will need to restart. Remove your Install CD and restart your PC. If you are going to use your printer without connecting it to your PC, this will be the end of PC preparation. 3-3-5. Connection with USB 2.0 Cable: for Windows Vista / Windows 7 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Connect the USB 2.0 cable to your printer (power OFF).
3. Getting Started 3-3-7. Opening the Useful Tools Useful Tools are installed in "Useful Tools“ in "Brother GT-3 Tools”. Color Palettes for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and CorelDRAW Color Palettes "GT_Colors_T.aco" for Adobe Photoshop, "GT_Colors_T.ai" for Illustrator, "GT_Colors.cpl" and "GT_Tshirts.cpl" for CorelDRAW are available. The colors are the same in GT Color Chart "ColorChart_1200.ar3" and "ColorChart_600.ar3" in "Test Data“ in "Brother GT-3 Tools".
3. Getting Started 3-3-8. How to use Firmware Update Tools Download the new Firmware program from the Web site when informed. Read the Firmware program with GT-3 Firmware Update Tool in "Brother GT-3 Tools" and update the Firmware program inside the printer. (1) Select "All Programs" on "Start" menu of your PC. (2) Select "GT-3 Firmware Update" in "Brother GT-3 Tools". (3) Read the update program (*.bwf).
3. Getting Started 3-4. Setting Up Your Printer Adjust the display contrast and the speaker volume as required. 3-4-1. Adjusting the Display Contrast (1) Press the OK Button on your printer’s Control Panel and go to the Menu. (2) Use the Up/Down Button to select [ Printer Setting ] > [ LCD Contrast ] and then press the OK Button. The following display appears. 02e0027Y (3) Use the Up/Down Button to select your desired contrast from 0 to 7, and then press the OK Button. 3-4-2.
4. Printing Directly from Applications 4. Printing Directly from Applications WARNING If a foreign object gets inside the printer, immediately turn off the power switch and disconnect the power cord, and arrange for a service call to resolve. If you continue to use the printer while there is a foreign object inside, it may result in fire or electric shocks or problems with correct operation.
4. Printing Directly from Applications 4-1. Basic Printing Procedure (1) Set the proper color settings and print conditions of the application. For precise editing and output, applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Paint Shop Photo Pro are recommended, e.g. to deal with higher resolution images (200 dpi or higher). See “4-2. Setting the Applications’ Print Condition” in the Instruction Manual for further details. (2) Create the artwork using a suitable graphic application.
5. Maintenance 5. Maintenance For optimum product performance regular maintenance is required. DANGER Wait at least 5 minutes after turning off the power switch and disconnecting the power cord from the wall outlet before opening the right-side cover of the control unit. Do not touch as high voltage can result in severe injury. CAUTION Wait at least 1 minute after turning off the power switch before opening the front cover. Do not touch the head heat sink as it may be HOT and may cause a bum.
5. Maintenance 5-1. Replacing Consumables This section describes how to replace the consumables and the maintenance of the printer. 5-1-1. Replacing the Ink Cartridge The ink indicator on the Display flashes when the Ink Cartridge is getting low. Prepare the new Ink Cartridge (option*), and replace it when “Empty XXXX (color)” is displayed. （* See "1-3-5. Consumable Requirements and Options" for part code.) z Use the Ink Cartridges described in “1-3-5. Consumable Requirements and Options”.
5. Maintenance (2) Remove the used Ink Cartridge from the slot of the printer. Put your finger to the handle and pull out the Ink Cartridge. Leave the used Ink Cartridge installed until just before the replacement. Leaving your printer with no Ink Cartridge installed may cause ink leakage or other serious damages. Handle 0055Y (3) Confirm the direction and the color of the new Ink Cartridge and put the bottom edge on the base and slide it to the back of the slot. 0056Y.
5. Maintenance 5-1-2. Replacing the Wiper Cleaner and Cleaning the Caps / Wipers The Wiper Cleaner needs to be replaced regularly. Keep the Print Head Cap and Wiper Blade clean when replacing the Wiper Cleaner. If not, the waste ink may drop on a T-shirt in printing or mis-firing may not be easily improved. (1) Select [ Maintenance ] from the menu by pressing Up/Down Buttons and press OK Button. (2) Select [ Maintenance Parts Exchange ] and press OK Button.
5. Maintenance (6) Pick the plastic bag on your right hand with your left hand, and wrap the Wiper Cleaner with the plastic bag. 0060Y (7) Remove the wrapped Wiper Cleaner carefully, not to drop waste ink and dispose of in accordance with local regulations. 0061Y Pay attention not to soil the Timing Belt and the other parts with waste ink. (8) Prepare the Wiper Cleaner, which is in the carton of White, Cyan and Magenta (380 cc only) Ink Cartridge or in the Maintenance Cleaning Kit (option*).
5. Maintenance (10) Use the one side of wet Clean Stick to clean the front side of the Wiper Blade. (11) Use the other side of the wet Clean Stick to clean the rear of the Wiper Blade. Do not wipe the White / Color with the same Clean Stick. 0063Y 0064Y (12) Wet other two Clean Sticks and use them to remove ink or dust from the Print Head Caps. Use one side of the Clean Stick to clean one Print Head Cap. Do not use dry Clean Stick; it cannot clean ink or dust. It may damage the Print Head Caps.
5. Maintenance 5-1-3. Replacing Flushing Plate Sponge and Flushing Plate Felt (1) After replacing the Wiper Cleaner, replace the Flushing Plate Sponge and Flushing Plate Felt. Remove the Flushing Plate from the printer by lifting up the right side slightly and pull up to the right direction. (2) Remove the used Flushing Plate Sponge and Flushing Plate Felt from the Flushing Plate and remove the waste ink inside.
5. Maintenance (3) Pick up the edge of the used Fan Filter mounted in the Filter Cover, and remove the Fan Filter from the Filter Cover. Put it in the plastic bag and dispose of it in accordance with local regulations. Filter Cover Fan Filter 0069Y (4) Align the new Fan Filter to the shape of Filter Cover and mount it in by pushing by hand, with the "rough" surface to the outside and the "fine" surface to the Exhaust Fan.
5. Maintenance 5-1-5. Replacing the Roller Felts (1) Unscrew two screws and remove the Felt Support. Felt Support Felt Felt 0071Y (2) Remove the used Felt. (3) Apply the new Felt to the Felt Support. Pay attention not to give damage to the Felt Support. (4) Position the edge of the Felt Support "A" by putting the edge to the Carriage "B" and tighten the screw with a coin. After fixing, check if the Felt Support is aligned straight.
5. Maintenance 5-1-7. Cleaning the Encoder Strip There must be some dust and mist covering the Encoder Strip to cause reading error when some error occurs during the printing operation. Clean the Encoder Strip with the attached tool. (1) Prepare the Encoder Cleaner and ethanol of 95% or higher purity. (2) Select [ Maintenance ] of the menu and press OK Button. (3) Select [CR Encoder Strip Cleaning ] of the menu and press OK Button. The Platen will be loaded and the Caps move down.
5. Maintenance (8) Apply ethanol to the Felt fully, app. 2 ml, of the Encoder Cleaner. Ethanol 0073Y Use ethanol of 95% or higher purity. (9) Push the position [A] shown below with your finger to give space between the felts. 0074Y (10) Put the Encoder to the Encoder Strip so that the Encoder Strip should run between the felts straightly, and the bottom part of the felt should touch the inside of the Encoder Cover. The felts catch the Encoder Strip when you release your finger.
5. Maintenance (12) Move the Carriage slowly to the leftmost position by hand Ink may stain the Platen and other places while moving the Carriage, the bottom surface may be wet and dirty with ink. (13) Wipe the Encoder Cleaner two or three times from the rightmost position to the left, by following the former steps (10) and (11), where the Encoder Cleaner did not reach. (14) After wiping, push the position (1) of the Encoder Cleaner to release it from the Encoder Strip.
5. Maintenance 5-2. Regular Maintenance Do not leave the White ink inside the printer. White pigment precipitates and may cause serious damage to your printer. This section describes how to maintain the White Ink. Execute the following menu to keep your printer and print result in good conditions. Menu Timing Details Daily Cleaning White Before printing (once a day) Replaces the white-less White Ink caused by settled pigments.
5. Maintenance (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Fill the bottle with Maintenance Solution. Confirm that at least more than 250 ml per one Print Head is in the bottle. Confirm in advance the amount of the Waste Ink in the Waste Ink Tank (more than 500 ml). Confirm that the printer is either [ Standby ] or [ Ready ]. Select [ Maintenance ] > [ White Tube Cleaning ] from the menu and press OK Button. Select [ All Whites ] then White Ink retrieval starts and the countdown is indicated on the Display.
5. Maintenance Loading White Ink after Tube Cleaning (1) Load the White Ink with full of Maintenance Solution in the Tube, the step (9) in the previous page. Insert the White Ink Cartridge and select [ Maintenance ] > [ Load White ] from the menu and press OK. (2) Select [ All Whites ] or one from W1-W4 and press OK. White Ink starts loading. The menu [ Initial Cleaning ] of the White Ink starts from loading Maintenance Solution, to load White Ink into the Tube smoothly.
MEMO GT-3 Series
ｐ BASIC OPERATION MANUAL * Please note that the contents of this manual may differ slightly from the actual product purchased as a result of product improvements. http://www.brother.com/ 1-5, Kitajizoyama, Noda-cho, Kariya 448-0803, Japan. © 2012 Brother Industries, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. This is the original instructions. GT-3 Series SB3150-001 E 2012.03.
